This invention relates in general to the field of position measurement and more particularly to an improved apparatus and method of providing position-related information.
A variety of techniques are known in the art to measure position, including land surveying techniques and global positioning satellite (xe2x80x9cGPSxe2x80x9d) system techniques. These known techniques, however, do not always provide positional data to a user in a conveniently usable format, such as in an XYZ coordinate format. Further, even if the positional data is provided in an XYZ coordinate format, there are many applications, such as surveying or construction, where the XYZ coordinate system is not normally used. In addition, there is no simple way to rotate or translate the coordinate system or otherwise change the default reference frame in which the positional data is originally given to provide data that is more meaningful to the user. As a result, known systems for obtaining positional data have limitations that make them unsuitable for widespread use in multiple applications.
There is a need for a method and system that can provide positional data in a user-selectable format and in a user-selectable arbitrary coordinate system so that the data is meaningful to a specific user and/or a specific application.
The present invention is a method and system for providing position data from a position detector with respect to an arbitrary, user-defined coordinate system. The invention is to be used in conjunction with a position detecting apparatus that preferably contains, at a high level, several transmitters that transmit signals, preferably laser beams, from stationary locations and a receiving instrument that receives the signals. This type of system is described in co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent applications, Ser. Nos. 09,532,100 and 09/532,099, entitled LOW COST TRANSMITTER WITH CALIBRATION MEANS FOR USE IN POSITION MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS and IMPROVED METHOD AND OPTICAL RECEIVER WITH EASY SETUP MEANS FOR USE IN POSITION MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS, respectively, filed Mar. 21, 2000, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The inventive method and system is preferably used in the receiving instrument in the position detecting apparatus, which calculates the receiving instrument""s position. The receiving instrument then displays the positional data and assorted other information of interest through a user interface. The information may be, for example, the location of the receiving instrument with respect to a default or a user-selected coordinate frame, or its distance relative to another location. The inventive method and system includes obtaining positional data from a known coordinate system, selecting an alternative presentation format, and defining transformations from the known coordinate system to the user-selected coordinate system. As a result, the raw position data obtained from the position detector is presented to the user in a user-selected format and uses nomenclature that is familiar to the user, regardless of the user""s specific application.
As is clear from the present disclosure, the present invention can be applied to a variety of different fields, applications, industries, and technologies. The present invention can be used, without limitation, with any system in which information related to position must be determined, including without limitation movement, dimensional measurement, and position and orientation tracking. This includes without limitation many different processes and applications involved in myriad industries. Some of these industries and some of their associated processes or applications are: film making (digitizing models, virtual sets, camera tracking, automatic focusing), construction (trades, power tools, surveying, CAD, equipment control, construction measurement and layout), robotics (robot calibration, work cell configuration, mobile robot navigation, hazardous waste excavation), law enforcement (accident scene mapping, crime scene mapping, incident reconstruction), computers (3D input devices, video games), virtual reality (augmented reality, virtual arcades, 3D Internet experiences), manufacturing (factory automation, facility decommissioning, parts inspection, facility maintenance, manufacturing tooling and inspection, manufacturing measurement), medical (surgical navigation, smart operating rooms, medical instrumentation), and defense (ordinance modeling, simulation training, aircraft fit-checks, ship retrofit and repair, site remediation).